Albanian Land Force

The Albanian Land Force (Albanian: Forca Tokësore të Republikës së Shqipërisë) is a branch of the Albanian Armed Forces.

Albanian Land Force
Forca Tokësore
Founded2000 (2000)
Country Albania
TypeArmy
RoleNational Defense
Size8,500 (2015)[1]
Motto(s)Fatherland, Honour, And Duty
Commanders
President of AlbaniaIlir Meta
Minister of DefenseOlta Xhaçka
Chief of the Albanian General StaffBrig. Gen.
Bardhyl Kollçaku
Commander of the Land ForcesBrig. Gen.
Albert Mullai
Insignia
Identification symbol

Mission

The Albanian Land Force's main mission is the defense of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Albania, participation in humanitarian, combat, non-combat and peace support operations.[2]

History
A British Royal Marine posing with an Albanian Commando (right), both showing their shoulder patches

Land Force is a priority unit in the structure of the Armed Forces. Land Force was established on August 29, 2000, and included military units with traditions and rich multi-year activity, spread across the territory of the Republic of Albania. In 2000 the Land Force included five infantry divisions with 55 brigades and 300 battalions deployed in 167 different regions of the country. During its continuous reform, the Land Force underwent new changes. In 2006 it was dissolved and the Joint Force Command was established. In the context of the ongoing transformation of the Armed Forces, based on the concept of an army small in number, operational and professional, on 9 December 2009 the Land Force was re-established on the basis of Rapid Reaction Brigade and Commando Regiment.

Based on the constitutional mission, the Land Force was involved in a process of profound transformation according to Western military concepts, and with the transition of the entire force from a conscript military service into a professional army, its operational level has increased. The structures of Land Force have been engaged in Peace Support Operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq, Chad and currently in Herat and Kandahar, Afghanistan. Land Force has the major share in peacekeeping operations in the framework of NATO, UN and EU. The Land Force is managed by young qualified leaders educated in military schools of NATO countries, as in the United States, Italy, Turkey, Germany, United Kingdom, Austria, etc., based on cooperation projects with these countries.

Land Force is engaged in civil emergency operations to help the community in cases of natural disasters, such as floods and blocked roads, and aid in distribution in cases of heavy snowfalls, fire suppression operations, etc.

Since its establishment the Land Force has been led by experienced commanders. From 2000-06 it was headed by Maj. Gen. Kostaq Karoli; from 2006-08 it was led by Brig. Gen. Shpëtim Spahiu; from 2008-August 2012 by Brig. Gen. Viktor Berdo. From August 2012 to November 2013 it has been commanded by Maj. Gen. Zyber Dushku. Since 11 November 2013, Maj. Gen. Jeronim Bazo has been Chief of Staff.

Structure
Main article: Structure of the Albanian Armed Forces

Organizational divisions of the land force include:

Specific tasks
  • Maintaining and developing capacities to provide a high level of readiness.
  • Continuous and sufficient training to deal with the tasks that might be assigned to it.
  • Assisting the community in cases of humanitarian emergencies; supporting search and rescue operations.
  • Cooperating with other national institutions in preventing illegal trafficking, smuggling of people and conventional weapons in Albania.
  • Training and participating with troops in peace support missions in the framework of NATO, EU and UN.

Equipment
Main article: List of equipment of the Albanian Armed Forces

Firearms

Assault Rifles, Battle Rifles and Carbines

In 2014, Minister of Defense Kodheli announced that Albania would transition from the Kalashnikov family of rifles to the M4 family, in part because of the association of the Kalashnikov with terrorism.[4]

ModelImageCaliberOriginNote
M4 carbine5.56×45mm United StatesThe Colt M4, alongside the Beretta AR70/90 ( 5.000 units delivered in 2017), have become the standard weapons of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Albania, replacing the different models of AK[5]
AKM7.62×39mm AlbaniaPhased out in favor of the M4 and the Beretta AR70/90.[5]
ASH-78 Tip-17.62×39mm AlbaniaPhased out in favor of the M4 and the Beretta AR70/90.[5]
Beretta ARX1605.56×45mm ItalyUsed by Albanian special forces (BFS), RENEA and Military Police.
MPT-76 7.62×51mm NATO  Turkey Albanian Chief of Staff at Headquarters, 30 units with NATO standards MPT-55 and MPT-76-type techniques for grant of light infantry weapons protocol, the Republic of Turkey in Tirana Military Attache Col. Shakir Cumhur Somer and Albanian Chief of Staff Operations and Training President was signed by Colonel Leonard It is.[6][7]
MPT-55 5.56×45mm  Turkey 30 units with NATO standards MPT-55[7][8]

Pistol and Submachine guns
ModelImageCaliberOriginNote
Beretta Px4 Storm9×19mm ItalyStandard issue[9]
P8 Pistol9×19mm GermanyLimited use in the B.O.S.[10]
P12 Pistol.45 ACP GermanyLimited use in the B.O.S.[10]
Beretta 929×19mm ItalyIn use with the B.O.S.[11]
HK MP59×19mm GermanyStandard SMG in the B.O.S[12]
HK MP7HK 4.6×30mm GermanyLimited use in the B.O.S. Mostly used by RENEA, the Albanian police[10][12]
HK UMP.45 ACP GermanyLimited use in the B.O.S.[12]

Sniper Rifles
ModelImageCaliberOriginNote
Sako TRG.308 Winchester FinlandUsed by the Army, RENEA and B.O.S[13]
Barrett M99.50 BMG United StatesUsed by B.O.S and RENEA[14]

Machine Guns
ModelImageCaliberOriginNote
Heckler & Koch MG45.56×45 NATO GermanyThe Commando Battalion was the first unit seen to use it in an exercise hel in late December 2015.It was also seen used by 2nd Infantry Battalion during exercises it participated in Poland. It will be used as a squad machinegun of the army[15]
DSHKM12.7×108mm Albania/ ChinaDSHKM is used as Close AA gun also on APCs, MBTs, transport vehicles and some times on patrol boats.[16]
RPD machine gun Albania/ Soviet UnionPhased out in favor of the H&K MG4/MG5

Anti Tank weapons and MANPADS
ImageCaliberOriginNote
Soviet RPG-7 and Chinese Type 6940 mm Soviet Union/ ChinaSoviet and Chinese version is still used in the army[16]
Strela-272 mm China/ Soviet Union
HJ-8 120 mm Last seen in 2007 parade[17]

Mortar
ModelImageCaliberOriginNote
82mm82mm Albania370
M-120120mm Israel750
M-43160mm Russia20 stocked for museum purposes

Armoured Vehicles

[18]

ModelImageCaliberOriginNote
Iveco VM 90Armoured vehicle Italy
Iveco LMVArmoured Vehicle Italy23 (+2 to be delivered by the end of 2017 alongside 5000 AR70/90 rifles from Italy. Also, Albania has shown interest in acquiring a further 120 vehicles of this type by the end of 2019 and 40 8x8 vehicles from Italy.)[19][20]
HMMWVArmoured Vehicle United States87 (further to arrive after missions in Afghanistan and Iraq are completed)[21][22]
MRAPArmoured Vehicle United States67
Defender Armoured Vehicle/Utility vehicle  Turkey 27[23] Albanian Armed Forces receive armed vehicles and various other types of equipment from Turkey in June 2015.

Helicopters
Model Image Type Origin Notes
Eurocopter AS532 Cougar Multi-role  France 4
Eurocopter EC145 Utility  France 3
Bell 204/205 Utility  Italy 4
Bell 206 Utility  Italy 2
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk Attack  United States 3
AgustaWestland AW109 Utility  Italy 2
AgustaWestland AW139 Attack  Italy 1
MBB Bo 105 Utility  Germany 15

Tanks
ModelImageTypeOriginNotes
Type-59 Main Battle Tank China721 Type 59 delivered by China from 1966–1975, today none in working condition and all in storage for scrap or for selling.
  • Albanian soldiers with VHS rifles
  • Albanian, U.S. and Romanian soldiers in a joint drill
  • Albanian soldiers react to rioters, roleplayed by US forces, during KFOR
  • Albanian army convoy on patrol
  • Albanian and US soldiers dismounting a M2 Bradley during Combined Resolve II
  • Albanian Land Force in Combined Resolve III

See also

References
  1. Mesi, Herion. "Sulmet nga terrorizmi, Shqipëria do të blejë raketa në një rreze 70 km - Gazeta SHQIP Online". gazeta-shqip.com.
  2. "Land Force". Albanian Armed Forces. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  3. "Land Force structure". Albanian Armed Forces. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  4. "Speech of Minister Kodheli held in the Parliament session of September 25, 2014". Albanian Ministry of Defence. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  5. "Forcat e Armatosura shqiptare 6 vjet në NATO" (in Albanian). Albanian Armed Forces. 3 April 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  6. raillynews.com https://raillynews.com/2020/04/turkey-arnavutluka-mpTrim-had-76-and-55-grants-mpTrim/. Retrieved 2020-06-07. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. "official".
  8. "https://www.savunmasanayi.org/turkiye-arnavutluka-30-adet-mpt-76-ve-mpt-55-hafif-piyade-tufegi-hibe-etti/". Savunma Sanayi (in Turkish). 2020-04-26. Retrieved 2020-06-07. External link in |title= (help)
  9. "Trajnohen nga specialistët amerikanë, instruktorët e parë të pushkës M-4 dhe pistoletës Beretta PX Storm në FT" (in Albanian). Albanian Armed Forces. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  10. "hk in albania". Youtube.com. 2007-12-26. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  11. Janq Designs. "Special Operations.Com". Special Operations.Com. Archived from the original on 2013-08-22. Retrieved 2012-03-04.
  12. "Small Arms List (Current and Former Types)".
  13. Eric R. Poole (April 2010). "Sako TRG-42 The quest for cold-bore accuracy stops here". Gunsandammo.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  14. User, Super. "Forcat e Armatosura shqiptare 6 vjet në NATO". aaf.mil.al.
  15. . Lajmi.net http://lajmi.net/ushtria-shqiptare-zbarkon-ne-mes-te-tiranes-foto/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. Jones, Richard D.; Ness, Leland S., eds. (January 27, 2009). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010 (35th ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
  17. "NORINCO HJ-8 (Hongjian-8) (Red Arrow-8) Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) (1985)". 15 June 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  18. "SHBA "armatos" Shqipërinë, 250 blinda dhuratë për ushtrinë".
  19. "Albanian military buys new equipment for air and land forces".
  20. "Italy to gift rifles to Albania - Jane's 360". janes.com. Archived from the original on 2017-10-08. Retrieved 2017-10-21.
  21. "Ministria e Mbrojtjes për mjetet e transportuara në autostradë: Ndihmë nga SHBA 75 mjete Humvee për FA".
  22. "Në Forcën Tokësore mbërrin pjesa II e paketës së HUMVEE".
  23. "TSK'dan Arnavutluk ordusuna yardım". ntv.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2020-06-07.
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